This is not new, but the above flow chart has worked for me throughout my life. Every January, friends ask about New Year’s resolutions and popular ones are typically about changing themselves (less weight, debt, vices, stress) or about jobs (more pay, better education) which will make them happier. But without habits in place, the success rate is at best the success rate of starting up your own business (<80-90%). As with good habits, resolutions are a continual work in progress.

As long as what I'm doing is aligned with my mission* in life, I feel at ease. For me, happiness is not ignorant bliss, but an understanding of who I am now and where I want to be. And that's something to think about all year, not only in January.

* My mission – “To be a decent and respectable human being, considerate of others and the environment. I want to affect the lives of others in a positive way and I hope very much to be a positive role model for others.”